


Jozenji-Dori

by Titty_Now_Titty_Later (orphan_account)



Category: Free!
Genre: Confessions, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Sharkbait Secret Santa, Winter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-25
Updated: 2015-12-25
Packaged: 2018-05-09 06:35:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5529590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/Titty_Now_Titty_Later
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“You okay?”<br/>He nodded firmly into Haru’s shoulder and pressed a muffled, “Happy,” out of his tight chest. He wasn't 'okay'. He was dying from happiness and it really hurt.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Jozenji-Dori

**Author's Note:**

> For ice-teal on Tumblr: Merry Christmas! Sorry if it's a little late. <3 I hope you have a wonderful, amazing holiday and enjoy yourself as much as these two dorks. 
> 
> Not beta'd, sorry.

“If I try having a conversation with you will you contribute?”

Haru’s head, which was lying back on the top of the train seat, shook a little from side to side. There was no other inclination as to whether or not he’d heard Rin’s question and that movement could easily have been from the shaking of the train when it crossed a join in the tracks. Rin reached out his foot and tapped Haru’s shin with his toe. Haru’s blue eyes glared tiredly down the obtuse planes of his reclined head; that he managed to hold Rin’s gaze at all was an impressive feat, considering the angle.

“You awake?” Rin asked pointlessly, stifling a smile. 

Haru made an irritated sound in the back of his throat and let his eyes slide back closed. He tucked his feet under the seat of the train to escape from the incessant tapping of Rin’s foot on his. “Go ‘way,” he muttered. He hauled his head forwards and slumped against the window with a sigh that fogged his breath across the glass.

“Don’t let your shoulder go numb,” Rin commented with a glance at the small flurries of snow drifting past the window while the train kept shuttling them along the tracks. 

“‘S not,” Haru sighed without opening his eyes. 

Rin bit back a scoff and shook his head with a smile before turning his eyes back to the city rushing past beside them.

A quiet mechanised  _ ding  _ sounded over the murmur of the other passengers in the carriage and Rin perked, straining to listen to the announcement.  _ “The next stop will be Sendai Station. Those wishing to change lines please disembark here.” _

“This our stop?” Haru sighed against the cold glass. Rin wondered if his cheek was numb yet; it didn’t have the protection of his coat, like his shoulder did.

In answer he shook his head before realising Haru wouldn’t see that in his semi-unconscious state. Before the man sitting opposite him had to open his eyes to see the response he spoke up. “No, the next one. A couple more minutes, I think.”

The train darted into a fluorescent-lit tunnel and Haru’s head slipped forwards a few centimeters with the momentum when the brakes came on. He didn’t correct the movement and Rin felt a gret swell of  _ something  _ in his chest that made him have to fight back a smile and the urge to let out a small sound of adoration. He couldn’t repress a shudder and so tucked his hands under his arms to disguise it as a shiver. Haru’s eyes were still closed so it wasn’t like it mattered or anything, but still.

He tore his eyes away from Haru, in case he opened his eyes and caught Rin just  _ staring  _ at him fondly. Not that Rin had a problem with staring at Haru - in fact, he spent a large slice of his time doing just that - but he still wasn’t too sure how Haru himself would feel about it. 

The train pulled into the station and the doors hissed open. Neither of them moved and he let his eyes drift to the people on the platform. Not many, from what he could tell, but it was late and cold and most sane people had gone home already. Only night workers and people who actually get paid for their overtime were headed anywhere. And Rin and Haru, who were held up time after time, to the point Rin was no longer surprised at Haru’s exhaustion - both physical and mental.

Haru had announced to Rin upon leaving the sponsor’s building that he didn’t enjoy promotional activities. In fact, he very much disliked them.

The train pressed forwards and picked up speed, rushing away from the station. Haru’s head fell back to its original position - rolled back on top of the seat - and Rin stifled a laugh with a cough.

“Don’t get a cold,” Haru mumbled without opening his eyes. 

Despite the temperature Rin felt suffused with a gentle warmth. “I won’t,” he promised and hid his smile in his scarf.

_ Ding. “The next stop will be Aobadori Station. This is the end of the Senseki Line. All passengers please disembark.” _

“You ready?” Rin prompted Haru, who grunted and patted the seat beside him for his bag. They stood when the train began slowing and held the bars for balance. “Do you want to catch the subway closer to the hotel?” Rin asked Haru. “It’s about ten minutes’ walk, but it might still be snowing, so- mmf-”

The train jolted and Haru stumbled into his side with an annoyed sound. Rin instinctively caught him around the shoulders, pulling him closer until the train came to a complete stop. 

“So, subway or walk?”

He let his arm drop from around Haru and got a tired grumble as a response.

“Was that even Japanese?” he asked, following Haru through the doors.

“Yes,” he muttered stubbornly and shoved his arms through the straps of his bag, walking towards the stairway exit.

“Walking then?” Rin asked, eyeing the neighbouring staircase which tunneled deeper to the subway. 

He got only a grunt in reply. 

“Keep your eyes open for a place to eat.” Outside there was a cool, gentle wind which made Rin hunch his shoulders and shove his hands in his pockets. “‘S cold,” he huffed pointlessly, but Haru made a small sound of agreement so he counted it as a successful statement. 

They began walking down the almost-empty street in comfortable silence. It  _ was  _ cold, but the snow storm, which had been letting up when they’d left the sponsor’s building in Haranomachi, had slowed to only the occasional flurry by the time they’d reached Honcho - the suburb they were housed in for the duration of their stay in Sendai.

The trees and bushes along the street were coated with snow, the same for the roofs of buildings they passed and cars which hadn’t been moved during the storm. After five days of foreboding cloud cover and three days of snow it was only to be expected, but the regional council was doing a good job of sweeping the streets and paths of the snow. Only an inch or two crunched underfoot from the most recent fall, still crisp and mostly undisturbed.

The sky was black but the street wasn’t dark. The lamps and warm yellow light from buildings on either side lit the whole area and headlights from the occasional car reflected brightly off the white snow. 

Rin huffed out a breath and watched it frost in front of him. He grinned and wondered if he was really young enough to be enraptured by something as simple as misty breath but he did it again anyway, because it was fun. He glanced over when Haru’s elbow bumped his but Haru was looking determinedly at the bare trees lining the traffic island. There was snow piled in the forks of their branches and they looked quite nice in the warm yellow light but it felt more like avoidance than appreciation.

He glanced down to Haru’s hand hanging pointedly between them and huffed out a laugh. With an easy smile he laced their fingers together and tucked their joined hands back into his pocket, brushing his thumb over Haru’s cold knuckles. “The things I do,” he mocked, shaking his head. 

Haru turned his eyes away but Rin felt a small answering pressure around his hand. 

Rin bit his lips to try press his grin away but couldn’t quite manage it, if Haru’s scoff was anything to go by.

“Sorry,” Rin muttered and rolled his eyes. “It’s not like I can  _ control  _ how happy I am.”

From the corner of his eye Rin saw Haru tuck his face down into his scarf and another glance revealed his ears turning red. “Stop smiling.” His mouth was muffled by the scarf but Rin could see a crease in the corner of Haru’s eye that gave away his own smile.

“Okay,” Rin conceded and turned his head to look forward again, Haru’s hand slowly warming in his own. 

There was a brief silence before Haru spoke up. “You’re still smiling.”

“I’m still happy,” Rin returned and nudged his shoulder into Haru’s. 

Haru didn’t seem to have anything to say to that because he didn’t say anything at all but Rin could feel everything he didn’t need to say in the way Haru nudged him back and flicked his thumb against Rin’s, where their hands were hidden in his pocket. 

Rin kept smiling.

The street lights brightened further up ahead, where their avenue joined with a larger road. There was more traffic - marginally. A car every minute or so, the odd pedestrian. Haru’s hand tightened in Rin’s and his feet stopped crunching in the snow. Rin took another step or two before coming to a halt and casting a concerned frown over his shoulder. Their hands hung in the cold air between them. Haru’s eyes seemed glued to the lip of the gutter beside them and Rin took a step back, closing the space between them. 

“Haru?” he prompted. 

After a brief moment Haru pushed his gaze to Rin. It rested there for a second or two and Rin held his breath like Haru’s eyes were restless birds that would spook and flitter off at the smallest provocation. They slipped closed and Haru breathed out a quiet sigh. His small mouth was curled into a small smile and Rin felt a small flutter in his chest. Haru shook his head once and opened his eyes. He squeezed Rin’s hand and stepped past him, starting to walk again. “It’s fine,” he reassured.

Rin followed along for another few steps before stopping and tugging Haru’s hand. A frown pinched a line between his brows and he asked, “What is it? What happened?”

Haru brought his free hand up to Rin’s face so he could smooth the crease away with his thumb. “You’re still happy, right?” Haru asked quietly.

“Yes,” Rin answered with confusion lacing his tone. 

“I am too.”

Rin’s breath caught in his chest and his frown melted away to a look of amazement. He could feel his lips parted stupidly while he looked at Haru blankly but he couldn’t really bring himself to rearrange his features.

Haru  _ smiled.  _ His hand cupped Rin’s cheek and he leaned in until their foreheads rested together. “I just realised,” he breathed against Rin’s lips, “I love you.”

A small sound escaped Rin’s throat and that overwhelming feeling he’d had on the train was back, filling him more and more until he was lightheaded and overwarm. His free hand wrapped around Haru’s back and he let his head slide to land on Haru’s shoulder with a small  _ thump.  _ His arm tightened and he pressed Haru closer to him, wishing he was actually allowed to scream. He would absolutely do that, if he could. But he settled for holding Haru’s hand and holding Haru and feeling Haru’s fingers weave into his hair and tuck it behind his ear. 

He settled for hearing Haru whisper in that ear, “You okay?”

He settled for nodding firmly into Haru’s shoulder and pressing a muffled, “Happy,” out of his tight chest. 

Haru’s laugh huffed past his ear and RIn wanted at that moment nothing more than the knowledge that he’d been the one to make it happen.  _ He made Haru happy.  _

He breathed deeply a few times, trying to calm the frantic beating of his heart. 

_ I just realised. I love you. _

_ Fuck. _ Rin wondered if anyone had ever died from being told that before. He wondered if he’d be the first person in history to die like this.

Haru shifts his feet and makes an uncomfortable sound. “‘S cold,” he muttered, resting his cheek against the side of Rin’s head. “Wanna go to bed.”

Rin nodded against his shoulder and took another deep breath before straightening. “Okay.” He cleared his throat and tried again. “Okay, let’s stop by an Izakaya or something.”

Haru nodded and his mouth twitched into another small smile. 

Rin pulled their hands back into his pocket and they kept going. They managed to make another forty meters, almost at the brighter lights of the intersection, before Rin stopped again. “Hey, you know you… love me, right?” 

Haru’s face said very clearly that he  _ did  _ know that and Rin should too at this point. 

“You said- but you said you just  _ realised,  _ so I’m… It’s not like it wasn’t  _ good enough  _ or anything but like… You’d just realised, so you didn’t  _ plan  _ it or anything, right?” he stuttered out, hand tightening aroundHaru’s.

Haru had one eyebrow raised and his tone was confused when he said, “Yes, I just realised. That’s why I stopped. And you asked, so I told you. It’s not like I was going to keep it a secret from you.”

Rin could feel blood rushing to his cheeks while he tried to convey his muddle of thoughts and emotion. “But… Okay, so you…  _ love  _ me, you love me. And you just…  _ figured it out  _ and there was no… You weren’t waiting for a moment to tell me or anything, you just kind of… said it.”

Haru paused and frowned, as though deeply considering what Rin was saying. “I kept walking,” he said eventually, “so I probably was waiting. And then you asked, and I just… If I was waiting for a particular moment to tell you, that moment came very quickly,” he finished with a decisive nod. 

“Okay,” Rin nodded and breathed deeply. “Okay. Yeah, okay.”

Haru’s raised eyebrow was back. “Is there something wrong with that?”

Rin ducked his head and shook it quickly. “No, no! It’s…” He smiled through his embarrassment and glanced up at Haru. He brought their linked hands up and pressed his lips to the back of Haru’s. “It’s perfectly you,” he said and leaned forwards to press another kiss to Haru’s cheek. 

“But not what you would have done,” Haru concluded with another huffed laugh. 

Rin glanced away and dragged his hand across the back of his neck. “Not… exactly, no. But it  _ was  _ perfect for you.”

“What would you have done then?” Haru asked.

Rin glanced at him out of the corner of his eye but Haru seemed genuinely curious. Invested. In Rin’s answer. 

Haru’s eyes dropped and he added, almost sheepish, “If you… too, obviously. If you don’t yet then it’s-”

“No!” Rin cut him off and dropped his hand so that he could hold Haru’s shoulders. “No, that’s not- that really isn’t a problem.”

Haru’s eyes darted like he wanted to roll them but he muttered, “I just said it wouldn’t have been a problem anyway.”

“But that’s… that’s not even the case, so it’s fine.”

“If you think I’m not noticing the way you’re avoiding saying it; you’re wrong.”

Rin, flustered, wrapped his arms around Haru’s shoulders and buried his burning face in Haru’s neck. “It’s not like I’m avoiding it cause I don’t…  _ y’know.  _ I just… don’t wanna say it like this.”

“How do you want to say it then?” Haru asked. Rin could hear the smile in his voice and felt an answering one pull at his lips.

“You said you wanted to go to bed,” he muttered against Haru’s neck, smiling more at the feeling of Haru’s arms curling around his waist. 

“I  _ do  _ want to go to bed. But I can go to bed after you do what you want to do.”

“But you’re  _ tired-” _

“We don’t have anything planned tomorrow.”

_ “Haruuu-” _

_ “Rin.” _

Rin groaned loudly in frustration and defeat and a magnitude of emotions wrapped into a little ball in his chest. He moved his head until his cold nose found a gap in Haru’s scarf and pressed against his warm neck.

Haru yelped and jerked away, clapping a hand to his neck. His glare melted at Rin’s laughter.

“Okay, okay. You’ll come with me?” Rin asked and held his hand out to Haru again.

“Only if you promise not to do that again,” Haru grumbled half-heartedly but he took Rin’s hand anyway and that small smile was back on his face. “What are you going to do?”

“Spoilers,” Rin teased and pressed a kiss to Haru’s other cheek before leading him off in the same direction. “There’s somewhere I want to show you.”

“In Sendai,” Haru mused, “a city you’ve never been too,” he added, “at quarter to twelve on a Wednesday.”

“Exactly,” Rin admitted, grinning. 

“In winter,” Haru finished, fighting the humour in his voice.

“It’s better in winter,” Rin assured, stepping quicker. His chest was full of warmth and it flowed into his voice in a way he couldn’t stop. Haru didn’t comment on it but his thumb flicked against Rin’s and their shoulders bumped not-accidentally. Rin didn’t think he could hold any more emotion than he did at that moment.

It buoyed him and put a light, comfortable warmth in their conversation as the kept walking. They passed their hotel and kept going. 

Ten minutes later and only two cars had driven past on the wide avenue.

“Do you even know where we are?” Haru asked, bumping Rin with his shoulder again.

“I know exactly where we are,” Rin replied, snorting at Haru’s raised eyebrow. “Kotodai Dori, somewhere in Sendai.” Haru pointed at a large street sign and it was Rin’s turn to shove him gently. “I know where I’m going,” he defended. “We’re almost there anyway. In here.” He pointed to a small late-night ramen restaurant at the corner of the next intersection. 

“Here,” Haru repeated and nodded firmly, mouth set into that small smile Rin loved. “This is where you have brought me.”

“No…” Rin dragged out the word and butted his head against Haru’s shoulder. “No, but I was going to buy you dinner anyway. Here is as good a place as any. And it’s open.”

“A compelling argument.”

Rin groaned and released Haru’s hand so he could jostle him into the restaurant. He pushed Haru onto a stool at the bar-like table and seated himself on the neighbouring one.  _ “I’m  _ buying,” he demanded and pointed at his own nose with a competitive frown when Haru’s hand strayed to his pocket.

Haru shrugged and put both his hands on top of the counter. “You can order too,” he said, meeting Rin’s challenge. 

The chef finished straining the noodles he’d been working and approached the counter. He didn’t say anything, but raised his eyebrows in question.

“Seafood bowl, please,” Rin said, ignoring Haru’s huff. “And a house special, if you have one,” he added for himself.

“Why do you always do that?” Haru asked while he crossed his arms and slumped forwards to rest his head on them. He watched Rin carefully and Rin fought the urge to reach a hand out and ruffle his hair. “You always order ‘house special’. You don’t even know what it’s going to be.”

“Unlike  _ some  _ people,” Rin sniffed and flicked Haru’s ear, “I don’t mind trying new things.”

“What if it’s something you hate?”

“It usually isn’t,” he replied. “And it might be something I love. And chefs usually enjoy making their specialty dishes, so they’ll put more effort into it.”

“So you just ordered a better quality meal for yourself than you did for me,” Haru summarised blandly. 

“You can have some if you want,” Rin laughed while the bowls were set in front of them. 

Haru’s nose scrunched and he shook his head, looking at the beef pieces. “No, thanks.”

Rin laughed again and after giving a quick thanks for the food he dug in. It was one of the best beef ramen bowls he’d ever had and wouldn’t rest until he’d forced Haru to try a bite, though he periodically stole bits and pieces from Haru’s own dish. 

After paying and thanking the chef again they stepped back out into the cold winter night. 

“It’s colder,” Haru muttered and tucked his hands under his armpits. 

Rin chuckled and wrapped his arm around Haru’s shoulders, pulling him close. “Probably not. It was really warm in there,” he said with a jerk of his head back to the ramen place. 

“Should have stayed,” Haru muttered. Rin smiled and pressed his lips to his temple, giving in to his urge to run his fingers through Haru’s hair.

“Told you it was a good idea. And you’re more awake now.”

Haru made a sound that was neither agreement nor contradiction so Rin decided he was close enough to being right that it counted. “Where are we going now?” Haru asked, leaning into Rin’s side while they walked. 

“Just a bit further. Jozenji Dori.”

“What’s at…” Haru’s voice died in his throat when they rounded the corner from Kotodai to Jozenji and he breathed out a quiet,  _ “oh,”  _ when the sight caught up with him.

There weren’t any street lamps but the light wasn’t coming from the parade of stores lining the boulevard. 

Every single one of the trees lining the path in the middle of the street was bare of leaves and had snow cradled in the forks of the branches. Every single one of those branches - hundreds, or  _ thousands -  _ was wrapped with tiny warm yellow lights. There was no neon glow or glare of headlights. There was no chatter of crowds and countless pedestrians. It was as though the city had recognised this winter night as  _ theirs  _ and had left it all for them. 

When they stepped onto the snow-covered path centring Jozenji Dori it crunched under their feet; undisturbed. No-one had been on the avenue since the last snowfall, probably not two hours ago.

_ “Rin,”  _ Haru breathed, looking up. The branches almost met overhead, creating a kind of living tunnel of light. The yellow glow cast soft shadows on Haru’s face and Rin thought maybe he’d never seen him look so beautiful. 

He wanted so desperately then to lean over and catch Haru’s lips while they were like that; soft and sweet in surprise. Amazement. Rin wanted to kiss Haru under the winter lights of Jozenji Dori, so he did. 

Thier lips were cold but Haru was soft and warm in RIn’s arms. He pulled back before the moment escaped him, the moment that had Haru looking at him like he’d given him something worth remembering - something worth loving. 

“Rin,” he whispered, breathless. Not from the kiss, Rin was sure. But something else. The place, the time. The trees lighting the snow around them. Rin bringing him to see it, maybe. Rin being there, with him. Rin loving him. 

It’s obvious - it’s  _ so obvious  _ it’s not even a secret anymore, or a surprise. Haru knew from the moment he pulled Rin into taking him on this adventure, he knew the moment Rin kissed him under the trees and he knew all those tiny moments in between. When their hands stayed linked and their shoulders jostled each other and their laughter filled empty streets at an hour they should be asleep. 

But Rin said it anyway, for the same reason he brought Haru to see this street on this night; because he was a hopeless romantic, yes. But because Haru was always urging him to do more - to  _ be  _ more. 

“Haruka Nanase,” he breathed against Haru’s lips. “What I’m about to say may come as a surprise to you,” he murmured. He paused to press another kiss to Haru’s lips. “I am absolutely and hopelessly in love with you.”

Haru’s laugh was swallowed by another kiss, deeper than the others. Warmer. “I know.”


End file.
